The semi-weekly fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1886-1887, 1887-08-30
AGRICULTURAL.
TOPICS OF INTEREST RELATIVE
TO FARM AND GARDEN.
Breeding Dairy Cows.

Henry Stewart says, IN the AqricatL-
turiSt: THE art of breeding is governed
by few rules which are simple and easy
to understand. The first and most i'm
portant of these is that like produces
like, by which is meant that animals of
certain peculiarities of form, color, char
acter, disposition, habit and quality.
when bred together, reproduce their own
characteristics in their progeny. This
rule has been so uniformly and constant
ly proved by practice, and is so reason
able and natural, that it may be taken as
a safe guide IN the rearing of dairy cows
Every person may see it proved by prac-
tice every day of his life. There is more
or less of family likeness in persons as
well as IN inferior animals. The progeny
Of jersey is always Jersey, and the
same is true of all other breeds. A good
rich mixer produces calves that are good
mixers, provided the bull is also of a
good milking family 1t is the fashion
TO assert that only pure breeds have this
physiological power of propagating their
own characteristics. All animals pos
sess this power to some degree, however,
and by careful course of selection this
natural proclivity may be encouraged,
developed and strengthened until the
breed, as it is then called, has this
power in eminent degree and the
progeny partakes very closely of the
character of the parents. This is the
point to be aimed at by dairymen, who
should first learn by careful tests which
are the best COWS, then seed them liber-
ally to develop their qualities to the
fullest extent, breed them to males of
known hereditary excellence, and pursue
the same plan with their progeny. The
male should be selected from some pure
breed, not haphazard, but after careful
investigation of its antecedents, and espe-
cially of its parentage. Milking quail
ity is the only point to be considered, fog
this alone brings the profit desired. A
dairyman should look to his special
business for his profit, and never be in
duced to compete with professional
breeders in the rearing of stock for sale
Hundreds of dairymen have been misled
into disastrous losses during the progress
of what might be called the Jersey specu-
latiOn, during seven or eight years past,
by purchasing at high prices animals be-
longing to certain families which were
popular at the time, but whose popularity
assOOn eclipsed by new favOrites. 1t mat
tiers not what breed is chosen. If it is the
ShOrthOrn, the HOlstein-Friesian, the
Jersey, the Guernsey, or Ayrshire, as
good a bull as can be afforded should be
purchased, and this may be safely done
if the pedigree is right, and the milking
quality of his dam and both his grandams
has been found satisfactory. 1t is more
profitable to pay large price for good
animal than small price for poor one
The bull is half the herd, as regards the
calves, and more that that when it is pro-
cured for the purpose of improving native
stock. The spare male calves may be
easily disposed of to neighbors who are
not so particular, or not so experienced
in this respect, for some advance on the
common stock, and will in good part re-
pay the cost of the sire. Breed is I'M
dOubtedly dependent upon feed. Feed
ing and training have given the value to
the breed, and this value must be kept
up by feeding and training. The mis-
take is often made of getting pure bred
animal and subjecting it to all the care
less management which is given to the
common stock, and expecting that this
animal, byvirtue of its parents character,
can lift up the common herd, and double
or treble its value in few years. Such a
hope is doomed to disappointment from
brought into herd its care should be at
least equal to that which it has been used
to, and the very same system of feeding
and general management should be fol-
lowed with the whole herd. If this
practice is carried out, the desired end
will surely be reached.
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